Twinkind 3D photo booth scans your entire body in the blink of an eye

Now that you can be scanned and 3D-printed in miniature form, two-dimensional portraits seem so last century. Of course, this novelty is way more expensive than a photograph, but now a company called Twinkind located in Hamburg, Germany is offering a 3D portrait service where the lengthy scanning process has been made as quick and painless as having a photo taken. You can even scan your pets, as they don't need to stay still for 20 minutes at a time!

Like a traditional photography studio, you simply stand inside Twinkind's proprietary photogrammetry 3D scanner, similar to the multi-camera set-up used to create the bullet-time effect in the Matrix films. Essentially a ring of cameras simultaneously snap photos of you from different angles, and then software analyzes the photos and automatically generates 3D geometry.

The process has a few limitations, such as the fact that you can't wear semi-transparent or shiny clothes, as they tend to mess up the software. Additionally, very small details like a pointed finger may break during the printing process or soon afterwards. The cool part is that the color and patterns from the photos is mapped to the digital you, and voila – your Mini Me is ready for printing in about 30 minutes. At this point you're free to go, as the whole process will take between two to five weeks.

Full-color 3D printing is still an expensive process, and the price is dependent on the size of the print. Twinkind is offering seven different size options, from 15 cm (6 in) to 35 cm (13.7 in), which range in price from €225 (US$290) to €1,290 ($1,680) which is in line with similar services. It's pretty steep even on the low end, but then, where else are you going to buy a photorealistic miniature of yourself?

The 3D color printer laser-sinters a powdery substance to form the miniatures

As for the printed figures, the quality is pretty good (see the photo gallery). The prints are made from a composite powder material that is laser-sintered layer by layer, giving it a clay-like surface. The resulting prints are less durable than plastic, so the company says you need to be careful about heating them over 60°C (140°F), getting them wet, or placing them in direct sunlight (as the colors can fade).

There have been a handful of 3D printing photo booths opening up around the world, but they require that you strike a pose and remain perfectly still for upwards of 20 minutes during the scanning process. Others, like the Makerbot 3D photo booth, only scan you from the neck up and only from the front. That leaves you with an incomplete bust, and while it's significantly cheaper, the print is done in monochromatic ABS plastic, making the details hard to sort out.

Is it creepy to want little figurines of yourself and loved ones if you don't intend to play with them?

Jason is a freelance writer based in central Canada with a background in computer graphics. He has written about hundreds of humanoid robots on his website Plastic Pals and is an avid gamer with an unsightly collection of retro consoles, cartridges, and controllers. All articles by Jason FalconerFollow @plasticpals

With what airport scanners cost I always thought that when I am done the TSA should give me some kind of QR code or something that I can use to pull up a 3D model of myself that I could use to shop for clothing online and see how it would fit me.

Daishi 12th July, 2013 @ 10:57 am PDT

Shallow article. Light on details. At a guess I imagine these guys build a well lit photo booth with a large number of cameras surrounding the subject simultaneously taking a picture. Photogrametry software can produce the 3D model.

Small items such as pointing fingers are also more likely misinterpreted by the software as well as transparent clothing.

Paul van Dinther 12th July, 2013 @ 03:10 pm PDT

Getting there... all I need is the 3d model to be a 3d printed robot, some kind of personality scanner, and the "replicate" button to be eternally stuck in the go position. World conquest is in sight...

Facebook User 13th July, 2013 @ 01:56 am PDT

OR

Since we're talking booths, why not have a single fixed video camera, and place people on a rotating disc.

Software then takes the 30fps video for the 5 seconds it takes for the disc to do one complete revolution, ie - 150 images, and make a 3D image.

Save yourself 149 cameras.

OR !!

If you don't like spinning people, tape a GoPro video camera to an appropriately counter-weighted ceiling fan, and follow the same process.